Tuesday 29th July 2025
Blog Page 384

BREAKING: University confirms 12 positive cases this week

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The university has confirmed 12 cases amongst staff and students from Early Alert Service tests for the 23rd-29th January, a slight increase from the record-low 7 cases reported last week. The number of tests administered has dropped slightly from 103 to 99, with a positivity rate of 12.1%, almost twice that of last week’s figure.

Since the University started the Early Alert Service, 6,439 tests have been administered, with 1,229 coming back positive and an average positivity rate of 19.1%. Last term, the lowest number of positive tests reported in a week was 21. Cases have remained low this term outside of the spike of 45 cases reported in week 0. 

According to Public Health England, cases have been dropping in Oxford Central and East Central Oxford, but rising again in North Central Oxford and Osney, Jericho & Port Meadow. In the seven days up to January 26th, 10 cases were reported in Oxford Central, 20 in East Central Oxford, 8 in North Central Oxford, and 12 in Osney, Jericho & Port Meadow.

Multi-factor authentication – why it’s more than just extra effort

“Action-required; multi-factor authentication will be deployed on your Oxford SSO account soon.”

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) – a phrase we have no doubt read multiple times over the past few weeks. But apart from just being ‘extra effort’ to logging in each time, what is the effect of having MFA on our accounts?

Passwords are easy to crack

First, let’s take a trip down memory lane. When the web first started, the most popular password of all times was ‘12345’, and ever since the 1990s, we have been following the same patterns when it comes to creating passwords. Studies have shown that a staggering 59% of people use the same password everywhere, and regardless of this, roughly 90% of passwords can be cracked in less than 6 hours. But how exactly does one ‘crack’ a password? 

1. Phishing links

The most obvious attack strategy is by phishing. The attacker pretends to be a well-trusted source and sends a link to a fallacious website, where the user can enter in their username and password. Thankfully, a study done by Duo Security on user behaviours showed that only 5% of users fall for these phishing links, with results improving every year. But just as users improve, hackers have changed their main methods too.  

2. Dictionary and brute-force attacks

In a dictionary attack, a software will systematically enter words that can be found in a dictionary to guess a user’s password. In a brute-force attack, cyber criminals use softwares to try and guess every possible combination of characters – not just dictionary words – starting from the most commonly used passwords, then moving on to more complex sentences. For longer passwords, brute-force attacks take a significantly longer time than dictionary attacks, which is why you’re often reminded not to use ‘real’ words in your passwords.

3. Credential stuffing

In addition, using the fact that you have probably reused some passwords across different websites, hackers trying to get access into your sensitive data may start on the less well-protected sites. Once your credentials are obtained on one platform from a data breach, it will be used to attempt log-ins on other platforms (by ‘credential stuffing’).

4. Man in the Middle

More dangerous methods include ‘keylogger’ – where a virus infiltrates the user’s computer and captures every keystroke, including sites visited, usernames, and passwords and more. Have you ever been told not to enter sensitive information on public WiFi? Here’s why. Disguised as a public-WiFI access point, the attacker’s program tries to insert itself into the interaction between the user and an app  Using this ‘Man in the Middle’ attack strategy, the attacker is able to gather all communications and login credentials that the user enters into the app. 

How Multi-factor-authentication works
This is where the importance of multi-factor authentications becomes evident. Instead of just using one method of authentication, MFA requires at least two factors to prove the users identity from a combination of these elements below, so that the attacker won’t be able to gain access to the user’s account even if they’ve cracked the user’s passcode!

  • Knowledge (something only the user knows): answers to personal security questions; the users’ password
  • Possession (something only the user has): one-time passcodes sent by text or email, or generated via smartphone apps; physical or software security tokens 
  • Inherence (something only the user is): fingerprints; facial recognition; other biometrics

The future of Multi-Factor Authentication
Increasingly with more firms and companies adapting to a remote working environment, the need for data security has prompted a rise in MFA roll-out. Yet it is worth noting that MFA is not only a product of the digital age. When you withdraw money at the ATM, both your bank card (possession) and your PIN (knowledge) is required. Looking ahead, some technology firms are looking into AI-based algorithms that analyse the users’ typing biometric as a second way of authentication, by matching patterns on how people type on their keyboards. Google is reportedly starting to do something similar, analysing things such as subtle mouse movements on webpages to decide if the user is human or robot, but its still unclear to what extent it is useful. Until that day that we do know, we will have to live content with an extra step of login effort, and feel safe with the knowledge that it won’t be likely for malicious attackers to get access to our sensitive information (read: browser search history that includes ‘fun facts about MFA’).

Image credit: Austin Distel on Unsplash

EU regulator approves Oxford vaccine

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The European Medicines Agency has approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in adults. The vaccine is the third to be given approval from the regulator.

The news comes after the Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute, the German governmental public health agency, advised against using the vaccine to immunise people older than 65, citing a lack of data.

The CEO of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot, told La Republica that the company’s vaccine produced a “very strong antibody production against the virus in the elderly, similar to what we see in younger people.” The Chief Executive of the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr June Raine, echoed his sentiment saying “Current evidence does not suggest any lack of protection against Covid-19 in people aged 65 or over. The data we have shows that the vaccine produces a strong immune response in the over-65s.”

The EU has purchased over 2.3 billion vaccine doses for its 446 million inhabitants, equalling around five doses per person. Some vaccines, including the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, require two doses injected a few weeks apart to produce more complete immunity.

400 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have been purchased by the EU for use in its member states and the European Economic Area. The EU ordered 80 million doses to be produced by the end of March. However, AstraZeneca has suffered delays at their production plants in the EU, meaning they will only be able to produce 61 million doses in that timeframe.

The EU has asked AstraZeneca to provide them with vaccines produced in the UK to make up for this shortfall. Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, as argued that the bloc’s contract with AstraZeneca gave them access to vaccines produced at two plants in the UK. Soriot has rejected her calls to divert doses from the UK, arguing that the company’s contract with the EU only obliged it to make “best efforts” to fulfil its order and that the UK could claim any vaccines produced in British plants first.

The EU has received criticism for its slow vaccination programme, which has forced hospitals in Paris and Madrid to cancel or delay patients’ appointments to receive their first dose. As of January 28th, Denmark has the highest vaccination rate in the EU having administered 3.95 doses per 100 people. The UK has issued 12.33 doses per 100 people. Israel has the highest dosage rate in the world, at 52.64 doses per 100 people.

Image: Treehill/ CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

University physicists hoping to ‘hear’ spacecraft land on Mars

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Physicists at the University of Oxford are hoping to ‘hear’ the NASA Perseverance Rover when it lands on Mars in February. The Rover will deploy two balance masses when it lands on the planet’s surface at approximately 4000 metres per second, creating seismic waves that the physicists hope they will be able to detect with the InSight Rover already positioned on the planet. 

InSight is designed to detect seismic activity in order to help scientists learn more about the interior structure of the planet. The rover landed on the planet in 2018, and while it has detected hundreds of marsquakes so far, it has yet to detect an impact event. Impact events are significant because their time and location can be determined by satellites orbiting the planet, and so scientists can use them to calibrate seismic measurements. 

The Perseverance Rover offers the first opportunity for scientists to detect a planned impact event on the planet, which could provide an abundance of evidence on the structure and atmosphere of the planet. This might be challenging, however, as there is a significant distance between InSight’s current position and the landing site for the Perseverance Rover. Scientists remain hopeful that the landing will be detected. 

Ben Fernando, an Oxford physicist and InSight team member, said: “This is an incredibly exciting experiment. This is the first time that this has ever been tried on another planet, so we’re very much looking forward to seeing how it turns out.”

“This would be the first event detected on Mars by InSight with a known temporal and spatial localisation. If we do detect it, it will enable us exactly to constrain the speed at which seismic waves propagate between Perseverance and InSight.”

Former judge criticises Magdalen President for role in anti-gay litigation

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TW: homophobia

Magdalen’s President, Dinah Rose QC, has been criticised for advocating on behalf of the Caymanian government in its struggle against the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Rose, a leading human rights lawyer previously praised as “the best discrimination lawyer in the country”, represented the Caymanian government in their successful appeal of a judgment that had legalised same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands in 2019. The case has since been appealed to the Privy Council in the UK, where Rose is expected to advocate on behalf of the Caymanian government as it resists the legalisation of same-sex marriage next month, despite pleas within legal circles for her to reconsider her involvement.

In a statement sent to LGBTQ+ representatives at Oxford, Edwin Cameron, a former member of the South African Constitutional Court and gay rights activist, has criticised Rose’s advocacy for the Caymanian government. Cameron, while endorsing “the obvious principle that even unpopular causes and litigants deserve legal counsel”, expressed his “distress and dismay that Ms Dinah Rose QC, the new President of Magdalen, is lead counsel on behalf of the government of the Cayman Islands in litigation that seeks to deny equality for LGBTIQ people.”

One LGBTQ+ identifying Magdalen student told Cherwell: “Obviously I’m disheartened by this news as all of us in college had high hopes for her presidency. I still hope that she doesn’t hold any homophobic views personally and I’d like to hear a statement from her to clarify her position on it”. 

Another stated: “I’m shocked and disappointed to hear of Dinah Rose’s involvement in this case. I feel this is incompatible with her role as the President of the College and with her duties to LGBTQ+ students”. 

The Case; The Deputy Registrar of the Cayman Islands and the Attorney General of the Cayman Islands v Day (Chantelle) and Bush (Vickie Bodden) CICA No. 9 of 2019

The initial case was brought by Ms Day and her partner Ms Bush, who filed a lawsuit against the Caymanian government seeking to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage. The government, represented by a colleague of Rose’s, unsuccessfully attempted to defeat the lawsuit in court. Chief Justice Smellie, who presided over the case, found in favour of Day and Bush. His ruling effectively legalised same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands.

However, a rapid appeal by the Caymanian government granted a stay of judgment that prevented any same-sex marriages from going ahead. Advocating on behalf of the government in the Court of Appeals (CoA), Rose argued against the ruling that had legalised same-sex marriage on behalf of the Caymanian government. In August 2019, she successfully persuaded the court that Smellie’s original judgment lacked merit, securing a total withdrawal of both the ruling that had briefly legalised same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands.

Day and Bush immediately appealed the decision. Their case will now be heard before the Privy Council in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2021, where Rose intends to represent the Caymanian government. 

Edwin Cameron, the current President of Stellenbosch University, appealed to the College’s history in his statement: “Magdalen is the college of Oscar Wilde”, he wrote, “it is appalling that, 125 years after Wilde’s persecution, trial and imprisonment, the President of his college can ally herself with those who seek to persecute LGBTIQ persons in the Caribbean by denying them equal rights.

“The Magdalen President’s role in this litigation”, he continued, “is a stain upon the college. Worse, it is a fearsome source of apprehension and stigma to young LGBTIQ people who seek to find a haven of security and safety and dignity at Oxford and in Magdalen.” 

He also argued that “there is a direct line between homophobic conduct like that of the Caymans government and the terrifying levels of violence and brutality that, even now, are being perpetrated against LGBTIQ people in neighbouring Jamaica (one of the most homophobic societies in the world).”

“The litigation Ms Rose QC leads”, he continued, “forms part of and actively reinforces the continuum of violence against LGBTIQ people throughout the Caribbean. It sends the same damaging, humiliating and stigmatizing message to the LGBTIQ community of Oxford and Magdalen: you are not equal, and I will not protect and defend your right to dignity.

“I ask that Ms Rose QC return her brief. And, if she cannot, I ask that she accept that her continued prosecution of the case is radically incompatible with the promises she undertook when she became President of Magdalen.

“In addition, I call upon Ms Rose QC to donate her brief fees she has already taken from the homophobic government of the Caymans to a cause or shelter protecting Caribbean people from homophobic violence.      

In his time on the South African legal circuit, Cameron was instrumental in the inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in the Bill of Rights. He has received a Special Award from the Bar of England and Wales for his contribution to international jurisprudence, and he continues to advocate globally for LGBTQ+ causes. The full text of his statement is available here.

Art historian and Christ Church alumnus Kevin Childs has also criticised Rose’s continued advocacy for the Caymanian government, arguing that “once Ms Rose became President of Magdalen she assumed responsibilities and duties to Magdalen’s students and staff and Magdalen’s commitment to equality. Her duties are now to the LGBT students and staff of Magdalen, not the homophobic government of the Cayman Islands.”

“By acting to deny two women the right to marry,” Childs opined, “the President of Magdalen has made Magdalen an unsafe place for LGBT people.”

Dinah Rose responded to the accusations stating: “As a barrister, I am subject to professional obligations enforced by the Bar Standards Board. These include a duty to accept briefs without regard to the acceptability of the views or positions of my clients, and to represent clients without regard to external pressure. I also have a duty not to withdraw from cases that I have already accepted, and always to put the best interests of my clients first.”

She continued, saying: “It is not correct that there is no legal framework to protect the rights of same-sex couples in the Cayman Islands. Civil partnerships which provide legal rights equivalent to marriage are available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples there”. Civil partnerships were made legal in the Cayman Islands in September 2020. Caymanian Colours, a Caymanian LGBTQ+ rights group, has argued that this is “a significant step forward for all of the Caribbean region and the Cayman Islands”, it falls short of providing full equality to same-sex couples.

Rose elaborated: “The hearing is imminent, and my clients would be very significantly prejudiced if I were to withdraw. It would be an act of serious professional misconduct for me to do so, for which I could expect to receive a severe penalty.

She stated: “I have argued a number of cases which have advanced LGBTQ+ rights, including a recent landmark case in Hong Kong winning equal rights to employment visas for same-sex couples. Later this year, also in Hong Kong, I will be arguing in favour of the right of trans people to change the birth-assigned gender recorded on their identity cards.”

Magdalen College, according to its website, “aims to provide an inclusive environment which promotes equality, values diversity, and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected.” Rose herself posted a picture of the trans flag flying at Magdalen in November 2020 with the caption “proud to fly the flag for trans awareness week”.

In an advertisement for the role of President, Magdalen explicitly stated that it “welcomes applications from women and men worldwide, and is committed to equality, diversity, and improving opportunities for fair access to higher education.”  Cameron picked up on this in his statement, arguing that “The President of Magdalen owes a duty to the college as well as to its LGBTIQ members to uphold Magdalen’s equality policy. Choosing to deploy professional energies on behalf of a homophobic government is incompatible with this duty.”

Rose told Cherwell: “Magdalen College stands firmly by its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and strives to maintain an environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students are respected.

“I have made my own commitment to support Magdalen in achieving these aims a central theme of my presidency. I am working with the Fellowship, student body, and staff to promote even greater diversity and inclusion within the College Community, and to enhance welfare provision in College.

“There is no conflict between this commitment and the performance of my legal and ethical duties as a barrister in this case.”

Cameron, in contrast, highlighted the example of Mr David Perry QC, who recently returned a brief he had accepted to prosecute human rights campaigners in Hong Kong following criticism from leading politicians and lawyers, in his email to Oxford University LGBTQ+ students. Cameron argues that Rose, in line with her commitment to Magdalen College and its students, should do the same. 

In response to this matter, the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society’s Executive Committee told Cherwell: “We are deeply alarmed and disappointed at the involvement of an Oxford College head in a case advancing an outrightly homophobic cause. We concur with former judge Cameron that if she has the choice to drop the case, it would seem appropriate for her to do so. 

“It is paramount to ensure  that  LGBTQ+ students at Magdalen and in Oxford see that she upholds her duty of care towards LGBTQ+ students and the values enshrined in Magdalen’s Equality Policy. Continuing the case would be furthering those voices in the world who continuously question the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals. If it is true that she still has the choice to step down from this case, we strongly encourage this. Otherwise we cannot see how she can continue as President of the College. If any LGBTQ+ students have any welfare or other issues related to this matter, please do reach out to one of our Welfare Officers at [email protected] or [email protected].” 

For confidential advice and support, you can contact Switchboard at 0300 330 0630, 10am to 10pm, every day, or email them at [email protected]. All phone operators are LGBTQ+.

ONS survey finds students’ mental health has worsened since autumn 2020

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The Student COVID-19 Insights Survey (SCIS) from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found that students’ wellbeing has worsened since November 2020.

Average life satisfaction, measured out of 10, has fallen by 9% to 4.8 compared to 5.3 in November. Self-reported anxiety levels remained unchanged for students, but at 5.2 out of 10 students report a statistically significantly higher level of anxiety than the general population (4.2). 63% of students reported that their mental health had been negatively affected, compared to 57% when last surveyed. The ONS identified this change as being of particular significance.

Students also reported increasing dissatisfaction with their academic experience compared to November 2020, rising from 29% to 37%. However, 85% of students said they were either “extremely likely” or “likely” to continue their studies.

Tim Gibbs, from the ONS Public Services Analysis Team, commented: “These numbers are not surprising considering the new lockdown measures in place and the fact that many students have not yet returned to their university town or city. This is also reflected in the academic experience scores, with the number of students reporting dissatisfaction showing an increase since the last report.”

The SCIS also analysed the travel patterns of students and whether they had returned to university in-person at the start of 2021. At the end of 2020, 33% of students left university accommodation to spend the holiday with family or friends. Of this portion, 40% have since returned to university accommodation. Out of the 60% who have not returned, 32% reported not knowing when they would return to university, and 14% said they were not planning to return this term.

The ONS has cautioned that care must be taken when interpreting the findings of the SCIS, due to the small sample size of students who responded. Out of 100,000 invitations to participate, only 2,698 complete responses were received between January 8th-18th. Although the ONS have weighted their data to be representative of students studying at English universities, the small sample size has introduced an element of uncertainty into their findings. This includes using confidence intervals to determine whether differences in data compared to November 2020 are statistically significant.

Image: Tim Gouw via unsplash.com

Local jeweller asks for lockdown love stories

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Beaverbrooks Jewellery Store has announced they are looking for the ‘most romantic’ lockdown love stories, and in return they will give away a memorable date night, asking for couples to “tell us your Lockdown Love Story for your chance to win a £1,000 date night”.

The website goes on to state: “We want to shine a light on the unlikely love stories that have emerged during the most challenging times, whether it’s a new relationship that blossomed over a Zoom quiz, or an unlikely relationship that formed while volunteering or while working on the front line.”

The prize is a diamond date night that will include a piece of jewellery for both individuals, as well as a dine in meal for two including wine, flowers and chocolate.

Beaverbrooks Jewellery Store also has a plan for couples who don’t live together or aren’t in a support bubble, who “will also get the chance to enjoy romantic one-on-one time together virtually with a ‘digital date’ as part of the package. If you prefer, you can celebrate your date night at a restaurant once lockdown is over.” Applicants can nominate themselves via the Beaverbooks website, explaining their lockdown love story in 100 words and attaching a picture of the couple. Entries close at 9am on February 5th 2021..

Oxford scientists prepare to edit vaccine to combat new variants

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Scientists from the University of Oxford are preparing to produce new versions of the vaccine they developed with AstraZeneca in order to combat new variants of the coronavirus.

The emergence of variants of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, has led to concerns about whether existing vaccines would be effective at producing herd immunity in the population. Initial laboratory tests indicate that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective against the B117 variant which emerged in Kent. However, there are concerns that variants which emerged in Brazil and South Africa may be resistant to the vaccines being rolled out worldwide.

Each time a virus infects a cell to produce copies of itself, there is a chance that errors occur in the copying process which produces the genetic material for new viruses. These errors are genetic mutations. According to Dr Amesh A. Adalja from Johns Hopkins University, a new variant is a “version of the virus that has accumulated enough mutations to represent a separate branch on the family tree”.

Most mutations have no effect. However, mutations which occur in the sections of genetic code which determine the structure of spike proteins on the virus’ surface can be hugely consequential. In order to combat a viral infection, specialised white blood cells called B-cells produce antibodies which are complimentary to the structure of the viral spike protein. These antibodies provide immunological memory, helping to fight future infection by this type of virus. If someone is then infected with a variant of that virus with altered spike proteins, their immunological memory will not recognise the new variant.

The Oxford, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines all work by introducing strands of viral mRNA into the cells of a person who receives an injection. That mRNA is then translated by the cell to produce SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. The body’s immune system then produces antibodies which are complimentary to these spike proteins, which provide immunity against future infection.

Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford, has expressed confidence that the Oxford vaccine can be quickly edited to provide immunity against new variants. This would involve editing the sequence of genetic material which make up the mRNA strands used in COVID vaccines.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is in talks with the independent Commission on Human Medicines to determine how modified COVID-19 vaccines should be regulated. Sir Bell suggested that modified vaccines would only need to be tested on a small sample size to ensure that they were effective, instead of the thousands involved in the development of the first vaccine.

A spokesperson for MHRA told The Guardian: “We can say at this stage that it is unlikely that a full new approval process will be needed,” indicating that a modified vaccine could be approved for use quickly. However, they emphasised that “No vaccine will be authorised for supply in the UK unless the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness are met.”

Image: Steven Cornfield via unsplash.com

Covid-19 case numbers continue to drop in Oxfordshire

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Oxfordshire has seen a decrease in new coronavirus cases in the week ending January 20th as compared to the previous week.  This is consistent with the county’s overall downwards trend in new cases following the stay-at-home order.

Case numbers per 100 000 people by local authority are as follows, with statistics from the week prior in brackets:

Oxford – 451.3 (down from 543.8)

Cherwell – 451.8 (down from 572.7)

Vale of White Horse – 259.5 (down from 297.0)

South Oxfordshire – 245.0 (down from 318.2)

West Oxfordshire – 185.3 (down from 306.4)

The national average is 420.2 (down from 523.4).

The total number of cases in Oxfordshire in the week ending January 20th was 2274 with a rolling rate of 328.8.  This constitutes a total decrease of 608 cases or -21.1% compared to the previous week.

The Oxfordshire case rate remains above the national average but the margin has decreased substantially since the last report.

Oxford SU respond to exam policy changes

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Oxford SU have released a statement responding to the University’s new exams policy, announced last Friday. The SU has been running an ongoing campaign for students taking exams this academic year. 

The ‘Fair Outcomes for Students’ campaign is focused both on individual and cohort-level challenges. Some of the key policies advocated for by the campaign include rescaling cohort marks if cohort performance is lower than pre-pandemic years, reweighting examined components where appropriate, and an enhanced mitigating circumstances process. The SU are also advocating for mitigating circumstances procedures put in place this year to be extended to all students who have matriculated by MT20. 

The University’s new exams policies take up some of these suggestions, including a rescaling policy and new mitigating circumstances procedures. In the SU’s response, they highlighted some of these campaign wins, but also pushed for an expansion of the University’s current response to include more policy changes on a course-by-course basis.

The Sabbatical Officer team at the SU said: “We will continue to lobby for a more robust, transparent, and expanded mitigating circumstances process, including pushing for mitigating circumstances to affect outcome marks, not just classifications. Additionally, we welcome the University’s announcement of allowing for the inclusion of ‘explanatory statements’ for submissions affected by access to resources, which will be utilised during the marking phase.”

“We will lobby to ensure that this is implemented as broadly as possible, not just as a mitigation for coursework submissions, but also for exams. We believe exams are similarly affected by the ongoing difficulties of resource access for students.”